Previous estimates did not include more than £80billion lost to the Treasury after the European Court of Justice forced tax rebates to multinationals and £50billion in Eurozone bailout obligations.

I’m no mathematician, but even I have continually said, Why did the figure of our weekly payments not include bailouts? In membership fees alone, after the rebate has been returned Britain has paid out £70.6billion in fees.

But the Bruges Groups says our real financial commitment is £275.08billion. They say: In 2014 the UK was forced to hand over an extra £1.7billion after the EU bust its budget.

These figures grossly underestimate the true level of Britain’s financial exposure over the past seven years

Robert Oulds

It was the year that then chancellor George Osborne announced a £12billion welfare cut as part of a plan to mend Britain’s deficit.

Crucial to the equation, says the Eurosceptic group, is the £40billion spent on propping up the euro and bailouts.